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FDA 510(k) consulting — Israeli MedTech to US market

Your investor wants FDA.
Your US distributor is already signed.

You're not sure whether you need a 510(k), a De Novo, or a PMA. That uncertainty is the first problem we solve — before writing a single page of your submission.

  • Device classification: 510(k) / De Novo / PMA
  • Predicate strategy — the highest-leverage decision
  • eSTAR submission — zero RTA record
  • AI request drafting and response
  • FDA QMSR gap analysis and QMS alignment
  • Integrated FDA + MDR strategy — one technical file

“When you trust us with the details — you're trusting them to me personally.” — Shai Lis, CEO, LIS Quality, leading every project since 2002

23+
years of experience
244+
projects completed
100%
official audit success rate
2002
operating since

Since 2002, 244+ projects — zero audit failures.

Sound familiar?

You cleared MDR. You know ISO 13485. FDA is a different language.

FDA is not MDR with a translation. It is a separate framework — predicate strategy, eSTAR format, Design Controls in a DHF that looks exactly the way FDA expects it. Companies that come to us already know this pain firsthand.

The RTA letter — months lost before review even starts

RTA (Refuse to Accept) means FDA rejected your submission package before a single reviewer read it. Missing a required section, a wrong format, an unsigned statement — and you resubmit from scratch. RTA is a procedural failure, not a scientific one. That is exactly what makes it the most avoidable delay in the process.

The wrong predicate — the submission dies at its foundation

Predicate selection is the highest-leverage decision in any 510(k). Choose a predicate FDA won't accept as substantially equivalent, and the entire submission collapses. Predicate strategy is not a database lookup. It is judgment built on pattern recognition across hundreds of cleared devices.

The AI request — your Q3 launch becomes Q1 next year

An Additional Information (AI) request from FDA pauses the review clock. Every round adds months. You have a signed US distribution agreement, a commercial team hired, and a launch plan built. An AI request rewrites all of it. Avoiding AI requests starts with submission quality — not with speed.

Your ISO 13485 QMS — close, but not FDA-shaped

FDA updated its Quality System Regulation (QMSR) in 2024 to align with ISO 13485:2016 — so the gap is narrower than it was. But FDA Design Controls (820.30) and the Design History File format still have specific expectations that a standard 13485 QMS may not cover. The gaps show up during FDA inspections.

How it works

5 phases: from device classification to FDA clearance in hand.

Every phase has a concrete deliverable. Shai Lis leads each one personally.

01Step 01 · Classification

Pathway determination — 510(k) / De Novo / PMA

Before writing a single word, we determine the correct regulatory pathway. Classification analysis against FDA's product code database, identification of potential predicates, and a documented decision: Traditional, Abbreviated, or Special 510(k). Includes a recommendation on whether a Pre-Submission Q-Sub meeting with FDA is warranted.

Phase
Opening phase
Deliverable
Regulatory Pathway Document
02Step 02 · Predicate

Predicate strategy — the decision that defines the submission

We search and analyse candidate predicates in FDA's 510(k) database — by intended use, technological characteristics, and clearance date. We read the predicate's 510(k) Summary to understand what FDA already accepted as sufficient evidence for that device type. That sets the bar you are being measured against.

Phase
Phase 2
Deliverable
Predicate Strategy Document
03Step 03 · Build

510(k) submission — written and packaged via eSTAR

We build the complete 510(k) package: Substantial Equivalence comparison table, device description, Proposed Labeling, performance test summaries, software documentation (where applicable), and biocompatibility. Submitted via eSTAR — the format FDA now requires. We run through the RTA Checklist before filing.

Phase
Phase 3
Deliverable
510(k) package ready to file
04Step 04 · Filing

Submission and tracking — through RTA clearance

We submit through FDA's Electronic Submissions Gateway. We track the acknowledgment and submission number. During the RTA Review window (15 business days), we are available for any FDA query. The goal: FDA enters substantive review without delays.

Phase
Phase 4
Deliverable
RTA clearance — substantive review begins
05Step 05 · AI Response

AI request — fast, complete, no second round

An AI request is not a failure — it is part of the process, even for strong submissions. What matters is the speed and completeness of the response. When FDA pauses the review clock, we draft the response: sourced, documented, with all required evidence attached. A partial response generates another AI round. We do not send partial responses.

Phase
Phase 5
Deliverable
AI response filed
06Step 06 · QMS

FDA QMSR — aligning your quality system for the US market

FDA's updated QMSR (effective February 2026) aligns 21 CFR Part 820 with ISO 13485:2016 — companies with a current ISO 13485 QMS are largely compliant. But Design Controls, the Design History File, and CAPA still have FDA-specific expectations. We run a gap analysis and close what is missing before an inspection arrives.

Phase
Parallel phase
Deliverable
QMS ready for FDA inspection

Why LIS Quality

Israeli MedTech companies choose us because the three other options each have a specific gap that costs them.

Israeli clinical context + FDA format — not one or the other

US-based RA firms (NAMSA, Emergo by UL, USDM Life Sciences) know FDA format well. They do not know your device. They do not know how to explain to an FDA reviewer why a clinical study conducted at Sheba Medical Center is methodologically sound. LIS Quality has both — the Israeli device context and the 510(k) submission craft.

We explain your device to FDA — in the language FDA speaks.

You pay the person who writes — not the partner who presents

Large Israeli consultancies (big-four life sciences practices) sell you a senior name and deliver the work to an associate who has never personally responded to an AI request. With LIS Quality, Shai Lis writes the predicate analysis, drafts every submission section, and signs off before filing. No internal escalation path — he is the path.

23+ years. 244+ projects. One person accountable.

A generic 510(k) gets a generic AI request

Budget independent consultants bring a checklist and a template predicate comparison copied from a prior submission. FDA reviewers recognise thin predicate analysis. The result is an AI request that adds months to a timeline you already committed to publicly. We build the submission FDA does not need to question.

Predicate strategy is judgment, not a database search.

“Without the professional support of Shai and the LIS team, we would not have been able to meet the standard requirements. We gained enormously from his deep knowledge and extensive experience in work processes, especially in our facility.”
— Yossi Gutman, A.N.G.S Systems Ltd.

Hiring in-house FDA RA in Israel — rare, expensive, front-loaded

An in-house RA specialist with FDA 510(k) experience based in Israel commands 35,000–55,000 NIS per month — and most candidates require relocation or remote-only arrangements. 510(k) work is front-loaded: once clearance is achieved, the role becomes underutilised. And if they leave mid-submission, institutional knowledge walks out. We stay through clearance and beyond.

We are here for the full process — not just the kickoff.

One technical file. FDA and MDR. No double work.

Most Israeli MedTech companies run FDA and MDR in parallel with a lean RA team. The technical documentation overlaps more than it appears: risk management, clinical evidence, device description — all serve both submissions with adaptations. We build an integrated strategy that aligns both regulatory timelines and eliminates duplication.

One investment. Two markets. Coordinated.

Israeli clinical data — presented the way FDA accepts it

FDA accepts clinical data from studies conducted outside the US — including studies from Israeli hospitals (Hadassah, Sheba, Rambam, Ichilov) — provided they meet GCP standards and are approved by an IRB. What matters is how that data is structured in the Clinical Evidence section of your 510(k). That presentation requires someone who understands both the Israeli clinical context and the FDA submission format.

Israeli clinical evidence counts — when presented correctly.

Shai Lis — CEO of LIS Quality
Shai Lis
CEO & Lead Consultant

Meet Shai Lis

23 years of experience. 244+ projects.
Zero audit failures.

Shai Lis has led LIS Quality since 2002. He is an expert in ISO 13485, MDR, and FDA QSR / 21 CFR 820 — with direct hands-on experience in 510(k) submission preparation, predicate strategy, and AI request responses. The FDA QMSR harmonisation with ISO 13485 is the domain he has worked in for years.

He personally manages every project — no junior team. Why? “When you trust us with the details, you're trusting them to me.”

IRCA Lead AuditorISO 13485 SpecialistFDA QSR / 21 CFR 820510(k) SubmissionMDR 2017/745ISO 14971 Risk Management

What Our Clients Say

Without the professional guidance and support of Shai and the LIS team, we could not have met the standard's requirements. We gained immensely from his deep knowledge and extensive experience in work processes, especially in our facility.

Yossi GutmanA.N.G.S Systems Ltd.

To Shai and the dear team — after a challenging ISO 13485 audit day, I want to thank you for your professional approach to understanding our organization's unique needs, your creative thinking in finding solutions, and the specific tailored work methods that aren't visible on the surface.

Liron PinchoverSniff Logic

Trusted by industry leaders

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Frequently Asked Questions

What MedTech founders and RA directors ask us before starting.

510(k) or De Novo — how do we know which pathway fits us?+

This is the first question we resolve — before writing anything. A 510(k) requires a legally marketed predicate with substantially equivalent intended use and technological characteristics. De Novo is for Class II devices with no direct predicate — novel but lower-risk. PMA is for Class III, requiring clinical data, much longer review, and substantially higher cost. We run a classification analysis at the start of every project so you do not build a 510(k) for a device that should have been De Novo.

How long does FDA clearance take — and what actually drives that?+

FDA targets 90 days of substantive review from acceptance — but AI requests pause the clock, and each round adds months. What we control: whether the submission is complete, well-organised, and passes RTA on the first attempt. What drives length beyond that: predicate complexity, software level of concern, biocompatibility scope, and whether a Pre-Sub meeting was used to align with FDA before filing. We prepare you for the AI request scenario before it happens.

How do you choose the right predicate — and what happens if FDA challenges it?+

Predicate selection is the highest-leverage decision in the entire 510(k). We search FDA's database by product code, intended use, and clearance date — then read the predicate's 510(k) Summary to understand what FDA already accepted as sufficient evidence for that device type. When there is a technology gap between your device and the predicate, we demonstrate the difference does not raise new safety questions and back it with performance data. That argumentation requires direct experience with FDA's Substantial Equivalence standards — not a database search.

What happens when FDA sends an AI request?+

An AI request is not a failure — it is a clarification question from an FDA reviewer, and it happens to strong submissions as well. What matters is the quality and completeness of the response. When FDA pauses the review clock, we draft the response: each answer fully sourced, documented, and with all required evidence attached. A partial response triggers another AI round and restarts the delay. We do not send partial responses.

Our ISO 13485 QMS is current — what does FDA still expect differently?+

FDA's QMSR (published 2024, effective February 2026) aligns 21 CFR Part 820 with ISO 13485:2016 — so the structural gap is narrower than it was. The remaining differences are specific: FDA Design Controls require a Design History File with a defined structure, design validation must be conducted on production-equivalent devices (not just prototypes), and CAPA expectations for FDA inspectors have particular nuances. We run a gap analysis against FDA QMSR and give you a concrete list of what needs to be added or restructured.

Our clinical data comes from Israeli hospitals. Will FDA accept it?+

Yes. FDA accepts clinical data from studies conducted outside the US — including from Israeli research hospitals — provided they meet Good Clinical Practice (GCP) standards and were approved by an IRB. The critical factor is how that data is presented in the Clinical Evidence section of the 510(k). An FDA reviewer expects specific formatting and framing that reflects understanding of FDA's evidentiary standards. We specialise in translating Israeli clinical evidence into a format FDA reads as credible.

We are also mid-way through MDR. Can both run simultaneously?+

Yes — and it is better to plan them together. The technical documentation overlaps more than it appears: risk management per ISO 14971, clinical evidence, device description — all serve both submissions with adaptations in emphasis and format. We build an integrated strategy that aligns both regulatory timelines and reduces duplicate work, rather than treating FDA and MDR as two separate projects with two separate documentation sets.

What does a 510(k) submission engagement cost?+

FDA user fee: approximately $21,000 for standard submissions ($10,500 for qualifying small businesses). Consulting engagement: variable based on device complexity, current QMS state, software involvement, and whether clinical data is already available. In a 20-minute call we can give you a precise scope estimate. We work on fixed-scope proposals — one price, all deliverables listed. No open billing hours, no retrospective additions.

Have a different question?

Let's get started

510(k) pathway assessment.
20 minutes. Free.

We'll talk through your device, your current regulatory status, and your US market goals. You'll walk away knowing which pathway fits, what your QMS gap looks like against FDA, and what the next concrete steps are. No commitment. No pressure pitch.

Three fields. We'll come back with a professional assessment — not a high-pressure pitch.

We commit to full confidentiality. We'll get back to you promptly.

No commitment. No mailing list. We reply within one business hour.